Beyond hazard ratios: appropriate statistical methods for quantifying the clinical effectiveness of immune-oncology therapies - the example of the Netherlands.

Background: The Dutch Committee for the Evaluation of Oncological Drugs evaluates the effectiveness of new oncological treatments. The committee compares survival endpoints to the so-called PASKWIL-2023 criteria for palliative treatments, which define if treatment effects are considered clinically relevant. A positive recommendation depends on whether the median overall survival (OS) is below or above 12 months in the comparator arm.

Cost-effectiveness of the 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for high-risk adults in Switzerland.

Background: Vaccination against pneumococcal disease (PD) has shown a favorable cost-effectivenessprofile for many national immunization programs. While vaccination efforts have concentrated on children, many adults with underlying illnesses face elevated risks of PD and death. A 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (V114) is currently available offering protection against 15 different serotypes and can be used in adults.

Cost-effectiveness of a 12-month fixed-duration venetoclax treatment in combination with obinutuzumab in first-line, unfit chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the United States.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a significant health and economic burden in the United States. Treatments include chemoimmunotherapy, such as obinutuzumab (G) plus chlorambucil (Clb) or bendamustine plus rituximab (BR), and chemotherapy-free regimens incorporating oral targeted therapies such as ibrutinib (Ibr), acalabrutinib (Acala), or venetoclax (Ven). Most chemotherapy-free regimens require continuous treatment to progression, while Ven plus G (VenG) is given for a fixed duration of 12 months, based on the CLL14 trial that led to its approval.

The cost-effectiveness profile of sex-neutral HPV immunisation in European tender-based settings: a model-based assessment.

Background: In many European countries, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake among girls has remained below target levels, supporting the scope for vaccination of boys. We aimed to investigate if sex-neutral HPV vaccination can be considered cost-effective compared with girls-only vaccination at uptake levels equal to those among girls and under tender-based vaccination costs achieved throughout Europe.

Methods: We investigated the cost-effectiveness of sex-neutral HPV vaccination in European tender-based settings.

Who Will Benefit From Expanding HPV Vaccination Programs to Boys?

Indications for human papillomavirus vaccination programs are expanding to boys. However, the rationale behind their inclusion is often not clear. Using a Bayesian synthesis framework and assuming equal vaccine coverage in both sexes, we assessed how the incremental number of cancer cases prevented and life-years gained from boys' vaccination are distributed between women, heterosexual men, and men who have sex with men (MSM).

Pricing of HPV vaccines in European tender-based settings.

Background: Vaccine price is one of the most influential parameters in economic evaluations of HPV vaccination programmes. Vaccine tendering is a cost-containment method widely used by national or regional health authorities, but information on tender-based HPV vaccine prices is scarce.

Methods: Procurement notices and awards for the HPV vaccines, published from January 2007 until January 2018, were systematically retrieved from the online platform for public procurement in Europe.

Health and Economic Impact of a Tender-Based, Sex-Neutral Human Papillomavirus 16/18 Vaccination Program in the Netherlands.

Background: Uptake of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among girls in the Dutch immunization program has plateaued at around 60%. Vaccinating boys may be an appealing complementary strategy for the prevention of HPV-related diseases, especially since tender negotiations and reduced dosing schemes have driven down the cost of vaccination.

Methods: We expanded a previously published Bayesian synthesis framework to account for all vaccine type-related cancers and herd immunity effects from vaccinating girls and boys.

Disease burden of human papillomavirus infection in the Netherlands, 1989-2014: the gap between females and males is diminishing.

Purpose: Besides cervical cancer, HPV infection is linked to a multitude of diseases in both males and females, suggesting that vaccination programmes should be re-evaluated, with a judicious assessment made of the disease burden stratified by sex, age, and genotype. Projections of burden into the near future are also needed to provide a benchmark for evaluating the impact of vaccination programmes, and to assess the need for scaling-up preventive measures.

Methods: Using the disability-adjusted life-years (DALY) measure, we estimated the total HPV-associated disease burden in the Netherlands.